How to Keep Sweet Dough Overnight

Sweet dough contains a higher concentration of sugar, promoting rapid yeast growth

Sweet dough is a special type of dough used in making desserts such as cakes, cinnamon rolls and sweet rolls. Most sweet dough recipes consist of yeast and liquid combinations similar to other types of dough, with the exception of a larger amount of sugars. Since sugar promotes faster yeast cell reproduction, sweet dough can ferment and rise at a faster pace than other doughs containing less sugars. When planning to keep sweet dough overnight, you may want to select an overnight sweet dough recipe, or reduce the amount of sugar introduced before storage.

Things You'll Need

• 1 bowl, medium to large, greased with vegetable oil or shortening
• Plastic food wrap
• Clean sewing needle

Instructions

1. Choose your desired method of preparing a sweet dough mixture that you may store overnight . One choice is to use a sweet dough recipe designed for overnight slow-rise qualities and the other is that you add only 1/4 the amount of sugar your recipe calls for. If choosing the latter option, there will be just enough sugar to keep the yeast alive overnight, permitting the dough to rise slightly.

2. Place the sweet dough into a greased bowl, no matter which method of dough mixture chosen, and cover tightly with plastic food wrap.

3. Poke about one dozen holes into the center of the plastic wrap to allow gasses produced by the yeast to escape while in overnight storage. Once the holes are created, put the dough into the refrigerator promptly so the cool air begins to slow down the yeast division process.

4. Add the other 3/4 amount of sugar called for by your recipe -- if not using a slow-rise overnight recipe -- immediately when removing the sweet dough from the refrigerator the following morning. Mix the sugar in while the dough is still cool after removing, then allow your sweet dough to rise as normally as it comes to room temperature.

Tips & Warnings

• Store sweet dough in a refrigerator. Cool locations in dark corners may not be cold enough to slow down yeast cell division overnight, ruining the dough by the time it is to be used the next morning.

References

• White Labs: Yeast Storage and Maintenance
• Utah State University: Yeast Breads Plain and Fancy (PDF)

Resources

• My Sister's Kitchen Online: Cool-Rise Sweet Dough Recipe
• Meals Matter: Cool-Rise Sweet Dough